DALLAS – Integrity Marketing Group, LLC (“Integrity”), the nation’s largest independent distributor of life and health insurance products, today announced the acquisition of Southern Insurance Group (“Southern Insurance”), its first partner headquartered in Tennessee. As part of the acquisition, Southern Insurance’s leadership team, Mark Gilliam, President and CEO; Emily Gilliam, CFO; Alison Gilliam, Director of Marketing; and Abby Gilliam, Sales Executive, will all become owners in Integrity. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
More than 40 years ago, Emily and Mark Gilliam began their business sitting at the kitchen table with a rotary phone and index cards. Today, they have grown into one of the largest IMOs specializing in Medicare Advantage programs with more than 6,000 agents nationwide.
“The Gilliam family has built an incredibly successful family business,” said Bryan W. Adams, Co-Founder and CEO of Integrity. “Now, we’re coming alongside to support with the tools and resources to help them grow to the next level, so they can leave an even stronger legacy for their family!”
By partnering with Integrity, Southern Insurance will now have access to large-scale infrastructure and proven best practices. The platform that Integrity provides will allow them to access business function resources including marketing, accounting, human resources, product development and information technology. Integrity offers extensive technology solutions supporting agents with online quoting, enrollment and full CRM capabilities. The Integrity partner network unites their leadership with legends across the industry for expansive growth opportunities achieved through this revolutionary collaboration.
“To experience the success that we’ve enjoyed over the past 40 years—and to know that it’s about to skyrocket with Integrity—I’m more excited than I’ve ever been,” exclaimed Mark Gilliam. “It’s always been our goal to help agents. With the resources provided by Integrity, we’ll grow faster than we ever thought possible, and help all of our agents achieve their goals at the same time.”
Benefits of this partnership are designed to impact all employees at Southern Insurance. Not only will each employee have access to the expansive tools and resources Integrity provides, they will all be presented with the opportunity for meaningful company ownership through Integrity’s Employee Ownership Plan.
“We built a strong foundation and now Integrity is the company to lead us into the future,” said Emily Gilliam. “Partnering with Integrity allows us to leave a greater legacy for our children. I’m excited to know that we will be surrounded by the best mentors in the insurance industry.”
The next generation of Southern Insurance leadership is emerging with this partnership. Alison Gilliam will join her father, Mark, as Managing Partners of Integrity, while also overseeing daily operations of Southern Insurance.
Alison is looking forward to the next chapter for Southern Insurance. She shared, “Having Integrity’s resources and people standing behind us, giving us support and helping us grow—that’s something that really helps makes me look forward to open collaboration that we didn’t have before.”
“Family is a core value of Integrity,” said Ryan Kimble, President of Agent Pipeline and Managing Partner of Integrity. “By joining with Southern Insurance, we not only get to help fortify the Gilliam legacy, but we get to work together to help more Americans experience more security as they move into their next phase of life. We couldn’t be more proud to welcome Southern Insurance into our Integrity family.”